Rollermania swept through the Southern Cross Club on Thursday June 29 with three generations of tartan-donned Bay City Rollers fans coming together to embrace on a trip down memory lane. The 1970s pop band’s lead singer during their successful period, Les Mckeown, brought down under his band – Phil Hendriks, Scott McGowan, Dan Guest and Si Roller – playing all the old favourites from the golden era to a packed house of hundreds of loyal screaming fans.
Former band member Derek Longmuir started the Bay City Rollers with his brother, Alan, and – after teaming up with McKeown and guitarists Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood and Eric Faulkner – the Bay City Rollers achieved international fame with a string of hits.
Back in the 1970s the Bay City Rollers were Scotland’s greatest pop band and tartan teen sensations and were as big as The Beatles. Australia witnessed firsthand the Rollermania craze when they toured the country in 1975. Back then they were the most screamed-at teeny bop act and some 40 years later Rollermania is still alive and well with Canberra fans relishing the moment, still embracing and displaying devotion to their idols.
Singing songs such as ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Saturday Night’, ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, ‘Love Me Like I Love You’, ‘Rock and Roll Love Letter’, ‘Give a Little Love’ and ‘Shang-A-Lang’ as well as highlights from the new album The Lost Songs, and a classic cover of John Paul Young’s ‘Yesterday’s Hero’, Canberra fans weren’t disappointed.
Grandmothers, daughters and their daughters along with many husbands attended the energetic and thrilling show decked out in distinctive tartan clothing ranging from skirts and cuffed pants to caps and scarves. Many fans brought along memorabilia in the anticipation of meeting Les McKeown, hoping to scoop an autograph.
McKeown and his band brought the house down, taking fans back in time by delivering an unforgettable show reminding fans of their teenager years and the Rollers’ musical highlights of the ‘70s.
